# 119-s-3171: Veteran Entrepreneurship Empowerment Act

119-s-3171, Veteran Entrepreneurship Empowerment Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3171
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3171
- Congress: 119
- Title: Veteran Entrepreneurship Empowerment Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-11-10
- Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Commerce
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**This bill would cut upfront fees and lower equity requirements to** **lower barriers to capital for veterans and their spouses** seeking SBA-backed loans. It also broadens who counts as a veteran or spouse and requires the SBA to publish data on veteran participation in lending and mentorship programs. - Veteran and spouse-owned small businesses: The SBA could not charge guarantee fees on 7(a) or certain Small Business Investment Act loans made to veteran- or spouse-owned firms when the deferred participation share is $1,000,000 or less. The definition of eligible veterans expands to include Transition Assistance Program participants, reserve members, spouses, and surviving spouses. - Startups and change-of-ownership borrowers: The bill requires at least a 5 percentage point reduction in minimum equity injection for eligible 7(a) loans with deferred participation of $1,000,000 or less. Under the Small Business Investment Act changes, a 5 percent minimum equity injection applies in specified startup and other cases. - SBA transparency and outreach: The SBA must collect and publish participation data for covered persons in 7(a) and title V programs and include veteran participation in SCORE, small business development centers, women’s business centers, and Veteran Business Outreach Centers in budget materials.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-11-10T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Lower SBA loan costs for veterans: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would lower some loan costs and upfront capital rules for veteran- and spouse-owned small businesses. For SBA 7(a) loans, up-front guarantee fees would be barred when the deferred participation share is $1,000,000 or less and the loan is not made under paragraph 36 or 37. For S…

## Related bills

- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-2231: GLOBE Act of 2025
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-3171 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3171)

## Related
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2120)
- [119-s-2231: GLOBE Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2231)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3171 (as of 2026-09-10).